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U.S. capital seething with grand Independence Day celebrations
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The Independence Day Parade is held along the Constitutional Ave in Washington, capital of the US, July 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)
For the first Independence Day since the outbreak of the economic crisis, the celebration in Washington D.C. maintained its luxury and grandeur.
Since the early hours on Saturday, crowds have been seen along the Constitution Avenue, the traditional route for the Independence Day parade and other activities.
The celebration started with a unique memorial ceremony in front of the National Archives. Three performers who played music in remembrance of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, who drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, mingled with the spectators and then joined young students in reciting the historical document that symbolized the end of the colonial period of the United States.
A public relation officer of the National Archives told Xinhua that by doing this, Americans can be reminded of the heritage of their predecessors and encouraged to carry on their spirit.
The Independence Day Parade is held along the Constitutional Ave in Washington, capital of the US, July 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)
After reviewing the declaration, hundreds of thousands of Americans started a chorus of national songs and other melodies to the music performed by the Continental Color Guard in dresses from the 18th century that brought people back to the years of fighting for independence.
The ceremony lasted the whole day as the Archives welcomed the public to view precious historical documents it preserves and find out answers to some quizzes about the Independence Day.
As another indispensable activity of the American National Day festivities, the parade started at noon amid waves of applause. The long queue was guided by police motorcycles, cavalry and military corps and was followed by performers from civilian groups, minority communities, schools and other groups. Dances and drum beats turned the Constitution Avenue and even the entire capital into an ocean of jubilance.
For the first time, American Chinese formed a squad in the parade, congratulating the birthday of the United States with typical Chinese performances of gongs and waist drums. They also held posters of the Declaration of Independence written in Chinese calligraphy.
Unlike the grand celebrations in Washington D.C. and other big cities, some small and medium-sized cities and towns were forced to downsize or even cancel their celebrations due to tightened budget or declining private donations as the country is suffering a financial crisis. But many Americans hold the view that the more difficult situation the country is in, the more necessarily people should come together at this special day and reaffirm their commitment to coping with challenges.
"I hope we as people here in America can work together within our system, the democratic system, to find problems, to find solutions to the problems that we have," said Dell Latton from Wyoming. "I think when we work together, we will find this kind of solutions that can work for everybody."
Everlyn Betts from Virginia told Xinhua that although everything is getting really hard and the job market remains bleak, there are reasons to remain optimistic.
"Like what I said, I have all the confidence in the world. President Obama is gonna to bring us back to what we need to be."
In his Independence Day speech, President Barack Obama called on his people to carry on the American spirit and meet unprecedented huge challenges.
"I think the path we are on right now is good. The country is heading in the right direction obviously with what happened here in the past six months," said Edmond Hallmark from Alabama.
The whole day of celebration was also featured by a Smithsonian Folklife Festival where performances of American minority communities and a traditional Capitol concert were presented. At the end of the day, the capital was lightened up by a grand firework display that brought the country to another year of challenges and opportunities.
Source: Xinhua
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